Posted on 09/19/2005 1:23:25 PM PDT by jmc1969
BASRA, Iraq (AP) - British forces using tanks broke down the walls of the central jail in the southern city of Basra late Monday and freed two Britons, allegedly undercover commandos, who had been arrested on charges of shooting two Iraqi policemen.
Witnesses said about 150 Iraqi prisoners also fled the jail.
Violence flared earlier in the day as demonstrators hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at British tanks; at least four people were killed.
The fighting erupted after British armor encircled the jail where the two Britons were being held. During the melee one soldier could be seen scrambling for his life from a burning tank and the rock-throwing mob.
"An Iraqi journalist working for The New York Times was killed after men claiming to be police officers abducted him from his home in the southern city of BASRA "
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1487500/posts
Does this maybe explain a little more ??
You send commandos in without uniforms and they are basically thugs.
Wouldn't the Iraqis be justified in standing them up against the wall and shooting them dead.
Those are not normal soldiers. Check out the eyes... Definite "don't mess with me" material.
Oh yeah, these guys are no squadies.
My father was party to some SAS activities way back in the 60's, but not a million miles away from Iraq. They would spend weeks in a town or city, and blend in with the population, speak the language and look the part. These two are wearing trousers and t-shirts, not exactly what the locals tend to wear. I don't think they are SAS, at least if they are not on a long term operation.
Easy there.
My questions, at least, have to do with what is going on down there.
I have no doubt that the Brits were justified.
I'd just like a little more info on WHY they feel the need to storm a jail...
But the article said they were wearing Arab dress when they were picked up.
>>The Brits have appeased the local Sadrist/Iranian backed militias by allowing them to infiltrate the local police force.
Get yer asbestos suit on!
But having said that, the guy on the Warrior does appear to be wearing a t-shirt, so what do i know ? Any dicussion as to their identity or reason for being there is speculation at best at this time.
bttt
Exactly, why did they have to storm a jail? Things sound majorly out of control down in Basra. The authorities are complicit in something here. Who's side is who on? And who's oragnizing the authorities? Iran?
This new thread may shed some light on what's going on down there:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1487500/posts
It seems that this area has been overrun by Islamists.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4262336.stm
Tensions have been running high in the city since the arrest of a senior figure in the Shia Mehdi Army by UK troops.
SAS would be my guess....they sniffed out something and were caught.....hmmmmmmm.
The Brits were the original commandos.
See my post #33...
my bad, i misread
>>overrun by Islamists
I think they were voted into power. Remember.
They had elections and they chose.
Something else just occured to me. There seemed to be no shortage of petrol bombs to hand at the crucial moment. Does every Iraqi home keep a stock under the kitchen sink ? Or was this a prepared operation ?
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